6 Places I’d Rather Be Right Now

It’s not that I don’t love London.

I do. Honest.

It’s just that last year at this time, I was working 12 hours a week, dancing, surfing, and hiking in the Caribbean…

Even though I was occasionally miserable in Martinique, rainy days during the daily grind of the 9-5 (okay, 9:30-6) in London kind of make me miss the lifestyle. I really like where I work and I’m happy that after two years, Tom and I finally get to live like a normal couple: separate flats, full-time jobs and the like.

Also, my job writing travel content doesn’t help – I get seriouswanderlust! So here are some places I’d rather be right now I really want to travel to at some point (I love my job, don’t fire me please!):

Travertine Hot Springs – Pamukkale, Turkey

Pamukkale means “cotton castle,” and is home to spectacular turquoise water resting on white limestone terraces. People used to be able to bathe in the springs, but now that it’s a UNESCO Heritage Site the terraces and Hieropolis ruins are mostly just for looking. I’ve had a few people tell me that Turkey should be the next place on my list and that Istanbul is like nowhere else in the world (I’m always skeptical of that remark though – isn’t everywhere like nowhere else??).

Underwater Sculpture Park – Moliere Bay, Grenada

Located off the west coast of Grenada, this contemporary art exhibit opened in 2006 as a way to engage local people after the hurricane. I really should have gone to Grenada while I was in the Caribbean, but I never really knew what was there besides a medical school. I really need to stop talking myself out of going places and just go.

Zhangye Danxia Landform – Gansu, China

Largely made of sandstone, these rock formations are believed to have developed in the Cretaceous age. People are travelling to China a lot more these days and if when I visit, I’d rather spend more time in the countryside cycling and hiking than in the typical tourist cities like Beijing and Shanghai – which scare the heck out of me anyway. All of that honking and congestion… (Don’t I live in London?)

Dead Trees Park – Namib Desert, Namibia

These are skeletons of trees that died hundreds of years ago when there was no longer enough water to survive. The dunes of the Namib Desert create gorgeous colours in the right lighting. My friend Helen has some awesome posts about her time in Namibia that will make you want to go there too…

Whitehaven Beach – Whitsunday Island, Australia

The sand in this beach is renowned for its clean white colour – it’s composed of 98% silica. It also doesn’t retain heat, making it the perfect place to relax. I’ve been trying to figure out where I can have the best of two worlds: great weather and plenty of nature, but not so remote that I get bored. Australia almost wins – there is a lot going on there, culture-wise and such, but it’s just so far. But perhaps I should go there before I judge – Alyssa Writes, Expat in Australia?!

Mount Roraima, South America

This border point of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela is thought to be one of the oldest geological formations on Earth – the plateau of this mountain dates back two billion years to the Precambrian era. Somewhere in South America is of course an option for my post-London adventure and I would absolutely love to go there. I would actually be able to learn one language and use it on an entire continent (except Brazil and French Guiana) but still experience an amazing diversity of culture, wildlife, and nature.

When you daydream, where do you think about going? Or are you happy right where you are?

17 thoughts on “6 Places I’d Rather Be Right Now”

I’ve been dreaming to…of the Maldives, Madagascar, Iceland…really anywhere. I agree Turkey should be next on your list. Istanbul is special, but don’t just go there. The rest of Turkey is wonderful too!

Definitely something to day dream about! Especially those underwater sculptures! For the first time in a long time, I’m 100% happy of where live and my travel day dreaming has almost stopped completely! 😀 Viva Bali!

Pamukkale is awesome 🙂 I actually just moved from Alberta to Florida for three months so I’m pretty content at the moment but I’m always wanting to go back to Italy. Lately I’ve just been ‘daydreaming’ of going back to Europe in general actually 😉

I have been dying to go to Turkey, has to be in the plans soon. I had no idea whitehaven beach was made of 98% silica. I don’t remember exactly what the story was but the natives believed that a giant serpent passed through the water laying her eggs and thats how the islands were created..or maybe it was the perfect waves of the sand. Great picks, would way rather be there too lol

Now I’m not a nature person, but Dead Trees Park looks like it’s from another planet! And I need to check out Pamukkale next time I’m in Turkey, whenever that may be. Mount Roraima looks terrifying though – think I’d pass on that one 😉

Anyway, I’m a city boy, and I’d looooove to finally head to Tokyo, Bangkok and Singapore this year….Buenos Aires, Madrid and Cologne are also high on my list of places I wish I were. Although that hasn’t kicked in yet, I’m still loving Taiwan – ask me next month when I’ve started my new job 😉

I saw that you’re afraid of heights – me too! Like so bad I can’t wear heels too high… But I would probably hike Roraima as I would enjoy the physicality of it, though I would get nowhere near that close to the edge! Ooh, Buenos Aires – yes! Thanks for stopping by, Tom 🙂

Ironically (since I have family there) Australia has been the last country on my list of places to go but that image of Whitehaven is stunning and I realised after a sojurn through Turkey that I much prefer the sites that are very natural and near empty of people. Like Mount Roraima. Wow. Never knew of that place. Definitely on my list now.
Pamukkale was busy (not as bad as Ephesus though *shudder*) but it’s magical wading through the waters there and the view is stunning. Same with the site of Midas City near Yazilikaya. Not even the villagers were around because it they were out working the fields. I felt like I was the only person in the world. (Well, aside from the people I was travelling with). Make Turkey your next stop!

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Who am I?

I’m Alyssa — Anthropologist and Freelance Writer based in London and Barcelona! I write about Travel and Social Justice. Staff writer for TravelMag.com. Words in MSN, Bustle, the Globe and Mail, Porthole Cruise Magazine, Matador Network, and more.